Vampire in Control

by Dale Mayer

  “Right.” She crouched beside the prone man. “Talk. We need to know what the plan is.”

  “Go to hell, lady,” the vamp snarled.

  Beast, as if knowing what was needed, deepened his bite. Or maybe he just didn’t like the tone of the vamp’s voice. Tessa didn’t, but it worked.

  The man screamed, “Get him off me. Get him off.”

  “Why would I do that? You’re trying to kill us. Beast is helping us. See, he doesn’t like you guys much after the treatment he received in your hands.”

  “Not my hands,” he cried out. “I didn’t do this to him.”

  “He doesn’t know that apparently. He’s just going to treat all of you the same and kill you equally.” Although how he could tell good vamps from bad remained to be seen.

  “No, I’ll talk. I’ll talk,” the vamp screamed. “Just get him off me.”

  “No, I’m not into playing games. I’m going to walk away and let Beast find more of your kind for him to extract a little revenge of his own.” And she stood up.

  “No.” The man started crying. “Please. They said the animals would help us. That you’d all be so busy protecting yourselves from them that you’d not see us coming. It would give us the advantage we needed because you decimated our numbers so badly we don’t have a big army anymore.”

  “So, what…” she cried out, “you created an army of deranged dogs?”

  “Something like that.” But his voice was fading. She crouched down at his side, her hand busy on his energy that had suddenly clouded with blackness. “What are you planning to do when you have Council Hall?”

  “Keep it. It’s the center. So much can be done from there. The bosses always planned to take it. Now…”

  And his head fell to the side. Limp. That’s when she realized that there was a thin silver thread rippling through his system. Poison. She glanced over at Beast and saw it was coming from his mouth. Around the big fangs.

  “Beast, let go.”

  And without argument, he did and backed up two steps where he lay down, his head on his paws. She looked back at the dying vamp. “They put silver into the dog’s teeth?” she asked incredulously. “So they can kill us that way?”

  The vamp, his face twisting in a macabre fashion, gasped out, “Not much. Only a little at a time can come out. Dogs are supposed to hold on until the silver is enough.”

  His form turned black and crispy and he broke into a crumbling ash pile.

  “The dogs can kill with silver?” Cody asked in horror. “How many did they create?”

  “Likely as many as they could. Council Hall needs to be warned. They’ll have to kill the dogs on sight.”

  “I’m calling Sian,” Motre said. “She needs to warn the others.”

  Tessa stood up and walked over to Beast. She didn’t even know what to think now that she understood what he’d done. She could see the silver in his energy now that he’d used it, but it was faint. Like there might be only one killer bite for each. What a thing to do to an animal. And the vampire community.

  Horrific. And ingenious. No one would suspect it. Everyone was going to be scared of a pack of wild dogs, but no one was going to consider that their bite was going to be lethal. Not like this.

  She held out a hand to Beast.

  “Easy, Tessa,” Cody said at the side. “We don’t know anything about these animals.”

  But Beast sniffed her fingers then nudged her hand for some attention.

  *

  There was something fascinating and repulsive about the huge animal that walked at Tessa’s side. Cody wondered how dangerous it was truly. That Tessa had healed him was the start of the unique bond between them, then the way she had done so had cemented that bond. Energy. It ran through everything apparently and by adding her energy to Beast’s to heal him, the animal had accepted her as his – or maybe as an extension of himself. And what was that going to mean to those close to Tessa? Cody walked quickly at her side, his gaze on Beast. Beast had a raised hump on its back where the hair stood up in short bristles, and yet he was calm.

  Would it help him to get closer to the animal? He didn’t see how it would, but he didn’t want it to come between him and Tessa either.

  Rest your energy on his back, stroke it down his spine, she said in his mind.

  How?

  Just think it, she said. In your mind, stroke his back in a calm, caring manner.

  Easier to imagine than do, but he did as instructed. There was no response from the dog, his gaze remaining on the path in front of them. Cody repeated the actions several more times. The hallway took another sharp corner and Cody stopped what he was doing to study the way ahead. Tessa bent down looking presumably at energy trails. Beast walked until he stood at her side. She smiled at him. He sat down, totally comfortable.

  “So does he not sense any danger ahead?” Motre asked. “He doesn’t look worried.”

  “Who said he was a guard dog?” Cody muttered.

  Motre nodded. “An attack dog obviously, but having attacked and killed once, then what? He’s just a big animal now?”

  “The tracks keep going,” Tessa pointed down the hallway, ignoring their comments. “But I’m afraid this is taking too long. We need to move faster. I’m going to jump.” And she picked up her feet and in that peculiar ballet stride of hers, with arms out to the side, she took long running steps that was more jumping than walking and more gliding than flying but ate up the miles. Cody looked around. The tunnel was too narrow for him to fly. He’d have to run to keep up. At a nod at Motre, Cody raced behind Tessa. He’d love to take the lead, but it looked like Beast had gotten into the spirit of the hunt as he loped just ahead of Tessa. An odd couple for sure. One long and lean and beautiful moving in a graceful flowing way, whereas Beast was a big-muscled, brutish-looking animal running with his tongue hanging out of that huge jaw.

  Motre, running at his side, said, “They look like Beauty and the Beast.”

  Cody grinned. In school, they’d had to study Human fairytales. He’d always like that story. He wondered if any humans really believed in them.

  Tessa slowed up at the end, then turned another corner and disappeared from sight.

  Cody and Motre raced to catch up.

  And heard Beast howl.

  Shit.

  *

  Goran raced through the main part of the Council Hall looking for anyone who had seen Sian and when. Everyone thought she was in her office, which meant no one had any idea of who’d taken her or when.

  “Damn it,” he roared. “How could you let her be snatched right out from under your noses?”

  Taz came racing in the front door, his face ravaged. He still wore his hospital scrubs. Goran stopped him. “We haven’t found her. Did she contact you? Did anyone?”

  Taz shook his head. “No. She has to be here. She said that David had pulled the blueprints of the hall and that there were places no one seemed to know existed.”

  Goran nodded. “That’s true. We will find her.”

  Goran’s gaze was caught on a series of papers on the wall. He raced over. “These are the blueprints,” he said excitedly. “She has to be here somewhere. She’s only been missing for twenty minutes or so. We also have people watching outside to see if someone tries to take her away from here.”

  “Goran,” Serus called, racing over. “I just spoke to David. They are on the lower levels. He said they found an old set of stairs on the bottom floor but there was no sign of anyone having used them. They are now on the third floor and moving up. No access to the staircase from the other floors, although the rooms corresponding to the one housing the staircase are all smaller, as if the access could have been put in but someone chose not to.”

  He glanced down at the phone in his hand. “He has Jewel with him.”

  “And Tessa? Cody? Any contact from them?”

  Serus snorted. “Not from those two, but Motre checked in. Something about dogs given enhancements and silver implants so that their b
ites become lethal?”

  “What?” Goran roared. “Are you serious?”

  Serus nodded. “They are.” He held up his phone. “Apparently Tessa had to heal a huge wolf dog animal and it’s now with them. Motre is scared to death of it.”

  Goran stared at him. “She what?”

  Serus shrugged. “You know as much as I do. However, remember all the people she helped? She figured that the dog deserved life after being mistreated and it was something she could do…” He let his voice trail off. Goran knew as well as anyone there just what his daughter would do at any given time.

  “We have to find Sian,” Taz said, bringing the conversation back to the present. “How many teams are out looking for her?”

  A young woman standing off to the sides said, “Two teams have just gone to the two floors below us. David is coming up and looking, so we need to check this floor.”

  A group of vamps scattered. Goran hadn’t even realized that they’d been circling around the ancients, listening. Remember Serus’s words, he yelled. “Make sure you have something to kill wild dogs. Just in case.”

  Several people detoured to their desks to get weapons. He couldn’t imagine. Vampires were animals and at the top of the food chain, but not one of them liked dogs or cats. Dogs were a hell of a good choice for the enemy to have chosen.

  Facing four-legged enemies in battle was the last thing he wanted.

  Taz turned and raced back to Sian’s desk. “She’d have left us a message if she could have.”

  Back in her office, they studied the desk full of notes. Serus picked up the first page. “She’s got a complete list of who went where and when. This page is the communications with the Human Council. They are on the way here too. Good Lord. Why?”

  “Because they were supposed to meet you at the mountain, only it was a trap. She didn’t know what to do so she detoured them here,” Taz said. “But I don’t know what she planned to tell them.”

  “She’s got notes here. She’s afraid the colleges and high schools are compromised.”

  Serus lifted his head. “The high school where Tessa and Jared attended is on this list.”

  Goran was barely listening. “So?”

  “And the college. Human college and vampire college.”

  Goran turned to face Serus. “We knew that already.”

  “We knew about the vampire college. But what about the human side? What if the blood farm just picked those kids off one at a time?”

  “Then we’re talking all-out war. It’s one thing to have some kids go missing and pay off the authorities, but not even those people can accept or deal with the public outrage when all the kids go missing.”

  “True.” Serus studied Sian’s notes. “She’s done so much here. It looks like she’s been working toward a big sweep. Take out all the strongholds at once.”

  “How many strongholds has she identified?”

  “The hospital and yes…the Council. She also has the one high school circled.”

  “Why?”

  “No idea, unless the teachers there or administrators have been bribed. We need to see if everything is okay there or if students have gone missing.”

  “When they clean the building out, do they sweep up the people that helped them and hang them in the blood farm too?” Goran shook his head. “That might be their eventual plan.”

  “It’s all written down here.” Serus tapped the notepad in front of them.

  Taz walked over and studied the script.

  “She’s saying that is the blood farm’s plan.”

  “And likely the reason she was snatched. Or close enough to it.”

  *

  Wendy opened her eyes slowly. The white light had her slamming her eyes closed immediately. She tried to turn her head to the side and roll over but the pain…she arched her back and gasped.

  “Easy, Wendy,” Ian said quietly at her side. “We were knocked out and brought to what appears to be another blood farm.”

  Wendy’s eyes opened in shock. But it was Ian who was talking. She reached her arms out and struggled to sit. Ian lifted her and tugged her gently onto his lap and into his arms.

  “Slowly,” he said.

  “How can we be back in one of these?” she cried. Only to then groan softly. “My head hurts.”

  “I know. It will take a few minutes before that eases up.”

  She snuggled in close for a few minutes. When she hoped it was safe, she opened her eyes and caught sight of Jared out cold in the bed beside hers. “He’s here with us?”

  “Yes. I’d called you to come and see what I’d found in the lower levels of Council Hall and while in the room, someone came up behind us. We fought and lost.”

  “Is Jared okay?”

  “I don’t honestly know,” Ian said. “There is another twist to this mess too.” And he quickly shared about Rhia’s visit. “She’s fighting the drugs and trying to save Seth and us.”

  Wendy bit her lip. She wanted to feel bad for Rhia, but the woman could have helped them already and had chosen to leave them locked in this room.

  “She’s not far outside, and we couldn’t move easily while you were both unconscious.” Ian said as if reading her thoughts. “We have to trust she won’t deliberately hurt us.”

  Wendy tilted her head back and looked up at him. “Do you think she’s the Rhia we know or have the drugs taken hold and she’s one of them now?”

  “I’m hoping she’s the Rhia we know,” he said calmly. “She spoke normally, and we hatched somewhat of a plan for her to get the information she needs and help us.”

  Wendy nodded. “I hope so. I won’t want to but if she hurts you, I’ll kill her myself.”

  Ian grinned down at her. “So protective,” he teased. “Who knew?”

  Wendy reached up to stroke the side of his face, “You’ve been hurt enough. I just want to go home and have this over with.”

  “And that’s exactly what Rhia and I want too.” He stood up and set her on her feet. “To that end, let’s figure out how you are doing. Can you stand? Walk? Run?”

  Wendy tried to take one step, then a second. Each one was stronger, the room spinning less. “I’ll need a moment or two, but I think I’ll be fine.” She turned to stare at Jared. “What about him?”

  “I’m not leaving him behind,” Ian said. “Not after all he did to help us.”

  “Right, well, you’re carrying him. It’s going to be all I can do to carry myself.” Wendy bent and twisted, trying to limber up her stiff body.

  She had to be ready to bolt and fast.

  “So tell me. How are we getting out of here…and when?”

  *

  David raced from door to door to door. They’d found three more locked doors. The first he’d finessed open with a credit card. It had been empty but looked to have been recently occupied. The second one was completely empty and was the small room that matched the one holding the stairs several flights below. He did a thorough check, but there was no other access door leading to stairs behind it. He wanted to break the wall down and open up to the stairs, but they had to be methodical about this. He’d bust it down soon if they didn’t find Sian. The third door he’d made no attempt to open properly. He’d kicked it open. It had also been empty.

  They met another group on the next floor. So far, no sign of Sian. David grabbed Jewel’s hand. “I’m going to the hidden staircase,” he said. “Let’s make sure no one else has been there. We need to find out where it comes out.”

  “I’m coming too.” Jewel said.

  Without saying anything to the other group, David bolted down the stairs to the lowest floor. There they made their way to the small room and staircase. Taking one last look around, David led the way upstairs. And stopped.

  There was one big footprint in the sand David had left behind. He took a quick picture, then stepped over that step. Someone had gone ahead of them. Now he had to find out why.

  Chapter 10

  Tessa fell to the flo
or under the crushing weight of several vamps. Damn it. She’d been so locked onto the idea of the men being ahead of her, she hadn’t seen the assholes drop from the ceiling on her as she passed below them.

  Beast howled. With a vamp on her back and another kicking her in the gut hard, she groaned and damned near went over-extended. The vamp fell forward as if following the pull of energy. By the time he hit the floor, he was dead. Her nails slashed the front of the man lunging at her, pulling his energy toward her as she shifted.

  It’s not how she’d thought to use Hortran’s energy, but damn, it worked. It was hard to get into his mindset to use his trick when she was already under attack.

  An attack that had happened so fast she’d had no chance to pull her normal tricks.

  From the corner of her eye, she saw Beast attacking yet a third man. Then a fourth. How many of these assholes were there? She lunged upright, twisted, and tossed the man still hanging on her back toward Beast. Beast lunged and snagged this man by the throat.

  With six attackers down and Cody and Motre racing toward her, she bent over and caught her breath. What the hell had she done? Something about Beast’s presence at her side was soothing, reassuring, and she’d just taken off not even thinking of a surprise attack. And she should have.

  Still, she’d survived and gotten away without a scratch. Which was more than she could say about the vamp currently dying in Beast’s huge jaws.

  She walked over to him. “Easy, Beast. He’s done. Let him go.”

  Those glittering eyes glared at her, reminding her that he was an animal and this was his prize. “He’s not going to taste very good,” she said in low, calm voice. “He’s been enhanced, and that’s done all sorts of nasty things to his flesh.”

  “That’s disgusting,” Motre said as he studied the animal and the dying vamp. “I’d take a silver bullet over being eaten any day.”

  Cody frowned at Beast. “He can’t be allowed to think he’s the alpha in this group.”

  Motre snorted. “Personally, I’m thinking a bullet is a kindness for both of them.” He waved at the other dead men on the ground. “How did they get the drop on you, Tessa?”